The town relives the Turkish invasion of 1552 with a festive battle. | FRANCISCO UBILLA
The Valldemossa re-enactment of a sixteenth century clash with Ottoman pirates is less well known than the battles of Pollensa and Soller; there is also Sant Elm, but this isn’t in the same league.
But like the others it concerns the heroism of local people and highlights the role of the village captain - Ramon Gual.
The story is of how Gual and 36 men overcame 400 raiders. There would have been more men, but because this happened on a Saturday - October 1, 1552 - many were away from the village selling fruit and veg. There was a traitor, Pere el Valencia, and there was the notorious killing of Aina Creus, the grandmother of Saint Catalina Thomàs, La Beata.
The re-enactment this year marks the tenth anniversary of it having been established. Three groups - Moors, peasants, Gual and his men - gather at different spots at 5.30pm. The climax is a battle by the Charterhouse, which in 1552 was untouched by the raiders.